The school at the centre of a High Court dispute with suspended teacher Enoch Burke is “delighted” to have received an award for its inclusivity of LGBTQ+ students and staff.
Wilson’s Hospital secondary school in Co Westmeath is among 44 schools and Youthreach centres recognised by the youth advocacy organisation Belong To for its efforts and measures to ensure all LGBTQ+ young people feel welcome and included.
The awards were given last weekend.
One of the school’s teachers, evangelical Christian Mr Burke, has been in a legal row with it over what he alleges was his 2022 refusal to comply with a direction to call a then student by a different name and use the pronoun “they”.
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He was suspended as a teacher but continued to arrive at the school saying he was “ready for work”. He has since spent more than 500 days in prison, over three separate periods, for contempt of a High Court order to stay away from the school.
Welcoming the award from Belong To, acting principal at Wilson’s Hospital John Galligan said: “Since 2023 we have participated in the LGBTQ+ quality mark, aligning with our core values and as a school of care, community and excellence.
“We know that a supportive school environment can have a huge beneficial impact on the wellbeing of all students. Taking part in the LGBTQ+ quality mark has given us even more tools and resources to build on the good work already being done in the school to promote wellbeing, inclusion and understanding.
“We were delighted to receive the quality mark in recognition of our hard work over the past 18 months and in celebration of our whole school community.”
Last week the Attorney General obtained a High Court order appointing a receiver over Mr Burke’s future salary with a view to collecting €79,100 worth of contempt of court fines.
Mr Justice David Nolan also made a conditional garnishee or charging order over Mr Burke’s bank account, said to have a credit balance, with a view to having the fines paid directly out of that.
The Belong To “LGBTQ+ quality mark” accreditation for secondary school settings was developed in 2022 when a school climate survey by Columbia University found 76 per cent of LGBTQ+ young people in Ireland did not feel safe in post-primary schools.
Since then more than 100 schools and Youthreach services have enrolled in the Belong To quality mark initiative. Among the steps schools may take is to include LGBTQ+ topics in the curriculum.
Homophobia, biphobia and transphobia remain “a significant challenge for LGBTQ+ students”, said Moninne Griffith, chief executive of Belong To.
“The school climate survey has shown that in Ireland, compared to the general youth population, LGBTQ+ students are four times more likely to suffer verbal harassment and five times more likely to be physically harassed.
“It’s no surprise then that 76 per cent of LGBTQ+ second-level students feel unsafe at school,” she said.
